The Choice
by Frakme
Summary: When Shuttlepod One crashes onto what should have been an inhabited planet, the captain apparently fatally injured, Tucker, Reed and Sato are drawn into their own battles for survival. But all is not as it seems… Gen, no established 'ships. Warnings : non-graphic violence, including non-con and dub-con, again non graphic. Set just before 'Sleeping Dogs'
1. Prologue

**When Shuttlepod One crashes onto what should have been an inhabited planet, the captain apparently fatally injured, Tucker, Reed and Sato are drawn into their own battles for survival. But all is not as it seems…**  
**Gen, no established 'ships. **  
**Warnings : non-graphic violence, including non-con and dub-con, again non graphic.**  
**Set just before 'Sleeping Dogs'**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing here except the plot. Done purely for entertainment and certainly not for filthy lucre. **

* * *

_Captain's Log October 14th, 2151. We've received a subspace transmission from a species called the Decantlans, they have invited us to visit them, having detected us by way of one of their deep space probes. The Vulcan database has very little information on them, other than that they are warp capable species. T'Pol informed me the last contact with Vulcan was approximately 150 years ago and that the species was extremely xenophobic. Considering the progress that humanity has made in similar regards in that timeframe, I believe it is entirely possible they have progressed from this. My science officer, however, remains sceptical._

_As the system is surrounded by an unusually dense asteroid field, we have decided to leave _Enterprise_ outside of the system and travel in _Shuttlepod One_ to Decantla, the fifth planet in the system. _

"I'm still not convinced this is a good idea," muttered Reed to Tucker as they sat in the shuttlepod behind the captain, who was piloting and Sato, who was working with the UT. "We know next to nothing about these people!"

"Give it a rest, will ya?" said Tucker, exasperated. "You've and T'Pol already told the cap'n your objections. Repeatin' them ain't gonna make a bit of diff'rence!"

"Could you gentlemen keep it down?" said Archer sharply. "I'm sure you can appreciate the need for me to concentrate going through this field." He almost wished he'd brought Travis along to pilot but he was too tempted by the challenge of piloting the shuttlepod through the dense asteroid field. It wasn't often he got this sort of opportunity and after a few difficult missions, he could use the stress relief.

They had just cleared the field and sighted the planet up ahead when the shuttlepod jolted, hard.

"What was that?" said Hoshi, grabbing her console.

"We've been fired upon, captain!" announced Reed. He and Hoshi quickly swapped seats. The armoury officer activated the pulse cannon and scanned for the enemy ships.

"Two fighter ships off our starboard bow!" he announced. Another jolt and Archer struggled with the controls.

"That last shot nearly took out the starboard engine, cap'n!" warned Tucker, checking the 'pod's status.

"I'm trying to hail them," interrupted Hoshi, "But they don't answer! I'm sending a distress call."

"Fire on the other ships, Malcolm!" ordered the captain. Reed complied but the pulse cannons barely made a scratch on the two sleek fighters.

As they entered the atmosphere of the planet ahead, there was another hit and an explosion which bucked the shuttlepod violently. Sparks flew from various consoles and smoke began to fill the cabin. Tucker grabbed a fire extinguisher and used it on a couple of small fires that had broken out, before securing himself back into his seat.

"Engines are dead, cap'n!" he shouted checking his displays, "We need to land now!"

"Comms are also down, Captain," said Hoshi. "I wasn't able to get through to _Enterprise_ or the Decantlan government!"

Using the manoeuvring thrusters only, Archer barely managed to steer the shuttlepod into a trajectory that wouldn't burn them up in the atmosphere. Tucker worked frantically to get the engines back online without success. It looked as if they were going to crash land into a vast rainforest.

"All hands brace for impact," shouted Archer, as he fought with the attitude jets to keep them as level as possible. However they were all thrown violently forward in their seats as the shuttlepod impacted into the forest taking down several trees in the process.

Eventually the small vessel skidded to a stop, hurled up against a dense wall of trees.

Tucker was the first to recover. With shaking hands he managed to unbuckle himself from the seat. His head was ringing and his chest hurt from being thrust hard against the restraints. He saw Reed and Sato moving to do the same, both looking equally winded and battered, Hoshi with a small cut on her cheek. A groan from the front focused his attention on Archer, who was slumped in his seat.

"Cap'n!" cried Tucker in horror, as he saw the thick branch that had come through the front of the shuttlepod, pinning Archer to his seat. Tucker reached out with a trembling hand to the captain's neck and almost cried with relief when he felt a thready pulse under his fingers. But looking down he saw the branch had speared the captain in the stomach and he was bleeding heavily.

"Malcolm, Hoshi, help me!" Tucker knelt by the captain to assess the injury further. Another groan and he looked up.

"Trip!" Archer's pain filled voice was barely audible. "Take the others and get out of here!"

"No, cap'n, I won't leave you!"

Hoshi had got a medkit and took out a hypospray of pain relief, injecting the captain. She shared a worried glance with Reed.

"I'm ordering you to leave, Commander!" Archer coughed and blood trickled from his mouth. "The attackers… they'll track us… need to get far away." His eyes closed as he lost consciousness.

The other two officers looked at him stricken. None of them had the medical expertise to deal with the captain's extensive injuries.

"Commander," said Malcolm softly. "The captain is right. They will come after us."

"You cold-hearted, sonovabitch!" Tucker turned on him in a fury, "Help me get this branch out of him! I'm not leavin' him here to die!"

Hoshi in the meantime had assessed the wound, frantically trying to remember as much as she could of her emergency first aid training. They needed to remove the branch but she saw it has gone through the captain and his seat. They lacked the tools to remove it safely. Tears streamed down her face as she realised there was nothing they could do for the dying man. She straightened herself up, trying to stay calm.

"Sir, Lieutenant Reed is right, there's nothing we can do for the captain. He wouldn't-" she stopped, her words choking her.

Reed looked at the commander steadily and compassionately.

"I'm sorry, Commander, but we haven't any other choice."

Tucker's shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Gather as many supplies as possible, medkits, ration packs, weapons, communicators," he said. They all got to work, packing three of the rucksacks they found in the storage bins. As the three of them were ready to leave, Hoshi scanning the area for bio signs as they got ready to leave the shuttlepod.

"Jus' gimme a minute," said Tucker as Reed and Sato stepped outside.

He knelt next to the captain, who was still unconscious, his pulse weak.

"I'm sorry, Cap'n," he said, "And I'll take care of 'em, I promise."

The three of them walked out into the jungle, hearts heavy with sorrow at their fallen captain.

They walked quickly, trying to put as much distance as they could between themselves and the shuttlepod. Fortunately, apart from cuts and bruises, the three of them were largely unhurt. However they knew the attackers would come looking for them.

"Commander, I'm still getting nothing," said Hoshi, frowning at the scanner. "Also, did any of you see any sign of civilisation on the planet? I saw nothing!"

Malcolm shook his head in disgust.

"I'm now more and more certain we've been lured into a trap!" he said. "And the _Enterprise_ certainly won't be looking for us for another five days!"

"Surely they'd expect us to report in before then?" said Hoshi nervously.

Trip shook his head.

"Interference from the asteroid belt means that our comm units won't be able to reach_ Enterprise_."

"And I expect a species who went to the trouble to fake transmissions from a fake civilisation will have no trouble sending the _Enterprise_ messages that all is well and that we're having a splendid time!" Reed sneezed several times in succession, he was starting to react to the tree pollens around him. Hoshi had offered him an anti-histimine from the medkit but he'd refused, saying they made him drowsy.

After several hours, they were all beginning to tire, particularly Malcolm, who was having difficulty breathing. They elected to make camp under a large tree. Hoshi and Trip bullied the armoury officer into taking the anti-histimines. Shortly after he was injected, he began to breathe easier and his eyes stopped itching. He closed his eyes and rested while the other two set up the small four man tent. However, they didn't stay closed for long; they could hear people heading towards them. The three of them pulled out their phase pistols, only to find themselves surrounded by a dozen humanoids, all armed with deadly looking particle weapons. They all looked human, dressed in what looked like grey military fatigues. They were all completely hairless and had markings on their face, not unlike Maori tribal tattoos.

"Put down your weapons!" the lead one shouted, in heavily accented English. The three Starfleet officers looked at each other, then threw down their pistols. They were trapped.


	2. Sato

**Sato POV**

The three of them were taken away and placed in a small shuttle. They were bound and gagged, then the shuttle took off and travelled for several hours, over the rainforest. There was still no sign of civilisation, no cities, no industrial or commercial sites. Gradually she noticed the trees thin out and below them she could see miles of plains. She and the two men struggled with their bonds but they were too secure.

Eventually the shuttle landed next to a series of large hills. To Hoshi's eyes, they looked artificial, too symmetrical in shape. Her theory was verified when they walked to the bottom of one hill and it opened up, revealing a long, metal corridor. The three of them were marched into the corridor and after a ten minute walk, they were lead down another corridor, with lots of doors. To her dismay, all three of them were pushed through separate doors.

Not long after, two of the aliens came back in, along with two of the soldiers. She didn't think these were the same as the ones who had captured them. They wore white coats and brought in a trolley full of what looked like medical implements, so she assumed they were medical technicians or similar.

The soldiers removed her bonds but not the gag. She tried to fight them but they were amazingly strong, holding her securely as the two medical technicians efficiently stripped off her uniform, leaving her in just her blues. To her surprise, they then treated her injuries, including the cut on her cheek, which they sealed with some kind of skin regenerator.

Afterwards, they left and she removed her gag. Examining her room she saw there was a simple bunk and partitioned off area, which contained a toilet and sink. There was also a shelf that held paper towels, a plastic jug and a plastic beaker. She filled the beaker from the sink and drank some water. Shortly afterwards, another alien, again dressed in a white coat, came in and deposited a tray of fruit. She recognised them as coming from the rain forest; she and the others had gathered them while they were walking, after testing they were not toxic to humans. Still, despite her hunger she chose to ignore the food.

She stayed there alone for several hours, fretting about the fate of the two men, grieving for her captain, eventually succumbing to sleep.

* * *

She woke abruptly to see two other aliens, a male and a female enter. These were dressed in yellow coats and were carrying devices not unlike the PADDs she was familiar with. They were then followed by two more in white coats, who pushed a gurney. They noticed the untouched food.

"The food is safe," the female said. "Why did you not eat?"

Hoshi shook her head, drawing herself up.

"My name is Hoshi Sato," she said, feigning a bravado she didn't feel. "Tell me, where are my friends, the two men who were with me?"  
The aliens ignored her question. At a nod from the first male alien, the other two grabbed Hoshi and forced her onto the gurney, strapping her down despite her struggles.

"Where are you taking me?" she shouted, frightened as she was wheeled out. "What are you doing with me? Answer me!"

They didn't, instead took her to another room that had lots of equipment and video screens. It reminded her of sickbay back on the ship, as she felt the rising panic threaten to overwhelm her.

To her dismay, a pair of scissors was used to remove her underwear, leaving her naked. She was then placed inside something that looked very much like the imaging scanner on the Enterprise. When she was pulled out, she felt something touch the side of neck, something metal. She tried to protest but she found she couldn't speak, or move, or even close her eyes. She became aware of things touching her, that felt like metal or plastic, probing her, examining her all over. Even, to her mortification, her most intimate places. She felt her eyes water, tears spilling down her cheek as her body was inhumanely violated.

Again she felt something metal touching her neck. Mercifully, her eyes closed and she drifted into unconsciousness.

* * *

When she woke up, she was back in the room they put her in initially, now dressed in a simple white knee length smock, not dissimilar to the theatre gowns used in sickbay. There was another plate of food and feeling, very hungry by now, she made decision to eat. The food was tasty and she wolfed it down. When she was finished she sat quietly, then moved into the toilet area. She lift the smock, she couldn't see or feel any reminder of the exam she had. Not only that, the bruising and cuts she had sustained in the shuttlepod crash had also disappeared.

She was confused, what exactly did they want from her? She dropped the hem of her smock when she heard the door open. To her astonishment, two of the soldier aliens came in carrying an unconscious Commander Tucker between them. They dropped him to the floor and left.

She knelt by his side, gazing at him anxiously. He was dressed in a tunic and pants that were dirty and torn. His feet had sustained cuts as if he'd been running on gravel and there was a swelling on his temple, likely the reason for his unconscious state. She could only assume he had attempted to escape from the complex. She got some paper towels from the shelf in the toilet area, wet them and used them to wipe his face, then laid some on the swelling. She got some more to clean the cuts on his feet. Eventually, his eyes fluttered open.

"Hoshi!" he said, "Are you okay?" He tried to sit up but groaned, holding his head.

"Lie still, sir," she said. "Looks like you've had a nasty blow to the head."

"Tell me about it," he grumbled. "I want the number of the shuttle that hit me!"

With her help he was able to sit up.

"Can you tell me what happened, sir?"

"I managed to slip past the aliens who were bringing me food, the ones in the white coats," he said. "I tried looking for you and Malcolm, but the guards were closing in on me. I found a door to the outside and ran out, hoping I could escape, try and figure out a way to get the two of you rescued. But they caught me!" He looked at her sorrowfully.

"At least you tried, sir," she said. "And at least we're together now!" Trip reached over and gave her a hug.

"Don't worry, we'll get out of here, the cap'n-" his voice caught as he remembered they'd left the captain dying in the shuttlepod. "T'Pol will figure it out somehow."

"Do you think that maybe there's a chance…"

"That they found the cap'n and treated his injuries?" Trip tried to smile. "I sure hope so, Ensign. I really do."

They sat for a while until once again, an alien came in and left some food, clearly enough for two. The two of them talked quietly, random gossip, word games. They were careful to say nothing of the ship. Then once more the door opened. This time four guards came in. Both of them were taken out of the room and led to another room, where they were pushed and tied into hard metal chairs. They were then joined by the same two yellow coated aliens, the male and female, that had carried out the invasive medical exam earlier.

"Identify yourselves!" demanded the male, who they assumed was in charge. Trip gave a warning look to Hoshi.

"Where is the other man who was with us?" he asked, firmly.

The interrogator nodded to one of the guards who backhanded Tucker, hard. Hoshi tried to school her face to keep the emotion off it, but she feared the worst.

"I ask the questions," said the interrogator.

"My name is Charles Tucker," muttered Trip, after spitting out a mouthful of blood. "She's Hoshi Sato. We're from the Earth ship _Enterprise_. Now who the hell are you and did you shoot down our shuttlepod?"

"You invaded our territory!" said the female alien.

"We were invited here by the Decantlans," said Trip angrily. "Is that what you are?"

The male interrogator nodded and smiled cruelly.

"Yes, that is what we are." Turning to the guards, he spoke again.

"Take the female back to her cell. We'll work some more with this male."

Hoshi looked at Trip in despair as one of the guards removed her from her seat and dragged her away, pushing her back into her cell. She curled up on the bunk, worried sick about Tucker, who she feared was being tortured and Reed, whose fate was unknown. She prayed he was still alive.

* * *

She must have fallen asleep as once again she was woken up by the door opening. This time it was Lieutenant Reed who was brought in, though unlike Tucker, he appeared unhurt. She was so relieved to see him, she launched herself into his arms as soon as the guards had left.

"Hoshi, are you alright?" he said, gently disentangling himself from her. "Have you seen Commander Tucker?"

"Yes, they brought him to my cell," she said. She told Malcolm what had gone on in the interrogation room then haltingly explained that they had healed her injuries and examined her thoroughly. He looked at the floor as he explained that he'd had a similar experience. She guessed that he'd had a similar, invasive experience.

The armoury officer looked grim, his lips set in a thin line as he considered his senior officer's possible fate.

"The Commander will try to resist giving any vital information as long as possible," he said, carefully. "But we have to prepare for the possibility they may kill him and turn on us next."

"Do you have any idea how long we've been here?" said Hoshi. Malcolm read the unasked question in her eyes.

"I would say at least a day," he said, thoughtfully. "I can't be certain though. I've slept for a few hours I think, plus I have no idea how long I was unconscious after they examined me."

_So it could still be four days before _Enterprise_ comes looking for us_, she thought.

"What should we do, Lieutenant?" was all she said.

"I'll get us out of here somehow," he said grimly. " We certainly can't stay here. I've no idea what they want!"

"They said they were Decantlans," said Hoshi. "Commander Tucker told them we'd been invited but they didn't believe him."

They moved to sit on the bed and Hoshi seized his hand tightly. She could sense him stiffen slightly then relax.

"We should wait by the door, try to jump whoever comes in," he said.

"Won't they be expecting that?" she asked.

"I don't know, but we've got to try!"

It was a couple of hours later when the opportunity came. They had stationed themselves either side of the door and when it opened, both of them jumped on the alien that came through. However, it seemed that the aliens had anticipated their tactic as the alien was followed by four guards who managed to subdue the two Starfleet Officers. Hoshi watched helplessly as Malcolm was dragged away, unconscious; the guards had used some kind of stun prod on him to knock him out and free the alien he had attacked.

Not long after the interrogator came in with his female companion. Hoshi noticed, with bile in her throat, that their coats were splattered with blood; red, human blood. Commander Tucker's blood, she thought.

"Your companion was less than helpful," the female said. "You will now answer our questions."

Guards came in and pulled her off the bed. she was dragged back to the interrogation room and once again secured in the metal chair. There was a strong smell of disinfectant in the room, and the floor was slightly damp as if it had been recently cleaned. _They had to wash away the blood_, she thought as the fear crawling up her belly to seize her throat.

"How many ships are there?" the interrogator asked. "How big is your invasion fleet?"

"There is no invasion fleet," she countered. _They must have intercepted our transmissions, they must know there is only one ship out there!_ "We only have one ship, we're on a mission of peaceful-" She was silenced with a hard slap. One of the guards, she realised, her face throbbing. She had bitten her tongue and could taste blood.

"Liar!" the male alien shouted. "You have been sent by the Consortium to invade our planet!"

"I don't know of any 'Consortium'!" she protested. "We were invited for diplomatic talks with your people!"

She flinched as the guard raised his hand again.

* * *

She wasn't sure how much time had passed until the interrogator had decided he'd had enough. She'd lost consciousness at least twice, revived by a faceful of freezing cold water. She shivered uncontrollably, in agony from the various injuries inflicted on her. She was certain she had cracked ribs, her face throbbed unbearably from repeated hard slaps and her limbs were covered in bruises. But they kept asking her the same questions over and over again, convinced she was from a fleet of ships coming to invade Decantla. There were times, she was tempted to lie, to tell them what they wanted to hear but she wasn't convinced they would believe her.

She almost sobbed in relief when they released her from her bonds and took her back to her cell. She crawled to the bunk, the cracked ribs causing her pain with every breath.

She didn't move when she heard someone come into her cell.

"Prisoner Sato, you have been sentenced to death. When you are next taken from here, you will be taken to a place of execution. There you will meet your end. I suggest you pray to whatever gods you believe in."

She closed her eyes as whoever the voice belonged to left. Tears fell from her eyes.

"Somebody, please help me!" she whispered.

* * *

Once again she had fallen asleep as she was woken up by someone shaking her. She gasped and tried to get away from the person who was shaking her. It was one of the guards.

"You're pretty," he whispered, "At least you were!" He smiled at her lasciviously and she shrank away from him.

"Get away from me!" she said, as the alien stroked her leg, his hand making his way up her thigh.

"You can't do anything, you're dead meat," he said. "But maybe I can help you, if you help me!"

She looked at him in disgust. It was unlikely he'd be able to do anything to help her.

"Don't touch me," she snarled. She tried not to wince as the pain from her cracked ribs threatened to take her breath away.

"Your friend with the yellow hair was more cooperative," he said, conversationally. "Well at least after three of my fellow guards had a go."  
Hoshi looked at him in shock. Surely he couldn't mean…?

No, I won't believe him!

"You're lying," she said flatly. The guard merely laughed and pushed her flat on to the bed. She closed her eyes as he pushed up the smock she was wearing. Tears leaked from her eyes as the hopelessness of her situation overwhelmed her. _Enterprise_ was not going to come and save her, if they sent _Shuttlepod Two_, it was likely to be ambushed as well. Soon she would be dead at the hands of these aliens.

She felt the alien move on top of her and tried her best to block out the sensations of what he was doing to her. Perhaps if she just let him do what he wanted it would be over quickly and she could get on preparing herself for her eventual death.

He was soon finished and got up off her. She curled up on her side, silently sobbing. How could it have come to this? When Captain Archer persuaded her to come on board the ship, she had dreamed of all the aliens she would meet, learning their language and culture, opening up her mind to a whole galaxy of possibilities.

Only to end her life beaten and abused, executed without really understanding why.

* * *

They didn't make her wait long. Perhaps an hour after the guard had visited her, she was taken away from her room and after walking some considerable distance, she was taken outside the complex. There was a large gravel yard on which was parked several air vehicles. Seeing the hills surrounding her, she realised this must be the central part of the complex. The gravel cut her feet, reminding of Tucker's escape attempt, as she was taken over to a crude metal stage. She was taken to the stage and secured to a large metal stake in the middle of the stage. In front of the stage was a single alien carrying a weapon. As he raised his weapon she prayed it would be over quickly.

She closed her eyes as she heard someone shout "Fire!". There was a searing pain before blackness overcame her.


	3. Reed

**Reed POV**

The three of them were pushed into a flitter, then bound and gagged. They flew over the rainforest for several hours before the landscape changed to vast grassy plains. Malcolm saw there was no evidence of any kind of civilisation. Unfortunately it seemed he'd been right to be suspicious.

The flitter landed at the base of a hill, clearly constructed as it was simply too symmetrical. The three of them were ushered in through a concealed entrance, down a corridor and into separate rooms, Reed struggling against the guards the whole way. The guards remained in the room as four other aliens came in, three males and one female, two of the males wheeling a trolley. The two males pushing the trolley were wearing white coats and the other male and female, yellow ones. From their interactions with the white coated males, he gathered they were in authority.

The guards held him firmly as the white coated aliens untied his bonds, removed his uniform, leaving him in just his regulation underwear. Then, to his surprise, they treated his injuries. He realised their medical science was more advanced than Earth's.

The two guards pinned him down as the other four aliens left. They pushed him onto the floor, then tied him up again. As soon as they left he tried to undo the ties but they were too tight.

He worried about Tucker and Sato, especially the young communications officer. She'd seemed so unprepared for deep space when she first came on board the ship but she had come a long way. However he knew something like this must be terrifying to her. He refused to admit that he was pretty scared himself.

After a few hours, when he thought he was losing feeling in his hands and feet, the guards, and the white and yellow coated aliens returned. Not once did they speak to him, ignoring his demands for them to identify themselves. He was forced on to a gurney, strapped down and taken to a room down a corridor which reminded him too much of sickbay. His underwear was removed, leaving him naked and vulnerable. He was placed inside what he thought was an imaging scanner, then removed.

He felt something injected into his neck, something that left him completely paralysed, unable to speak, move or even shut his eyes. To his horror he felt things touching him all over, examining him. Even, to his shame, invading his most private places. His face burned with humiliation as he couldn't do anything to stop himself being examined by various cold probes and instruments.

Soon his ordeal was over and he was injected with something else, which rendered him unconscious.

When he next woke, he was in another room, wearing what looked like white sickbay pyjamas and tied to a chair. In came the two yellow coated aliens and two guards.

"Where is your ship?" the male asked.

"Where are my friends?" he shouted back at them. One of the guards delivered a backhanded slap to his face.

"Where is your ship?" the male asked again. He glared at them and earned himself another vicious slap. This time, he spat out blood.

"We need to try something different," said the female alien. The two interrogators and the guards walked out.

Shortly after, the yellow coated interrogators returned with two other female aliens, wearing dresses that left little to the imagination. He noted detachedly that they were both very beautiful, with large eyes, high cheekbones and graceful figures. They disrobed and he could see the markings on their faces, continued onto their torso, wrapping around their ample breasts and down to the groins.

Despite his discomfort with the situation he found to his dismay that a certain part of his anatomy was reacting to them as they walked over to him with sinewy grace. One of the aliens straddled his lap and began kissing his neck as he closed his mind and tried to will his body's reaction away, thinking of mundane subjects such as the week's duty roster, the schedule for phase pistol maintenance and what could be on the menu in the mess. He tried to remember as many details of the last film showed on movie night, a dreadfully dull film about someone having major angst over her mother's will. The other alien woman stood behind him and began to lift up his t-shirt, insinuating her hands underneath to caress his bare skin.

"Stop this now!" he hissed, struggling against his bonds, trying to throw off the woman in his lap. They laughed at him and continued their ministrations.

He began to sweat with the effort to resist them, his face burning with humiliation as both women used their hands and mouths to get the desired reaction out of him. Tied firmly into place, there was nothing he could do to stop them and they appeared to be incredibly knowledgeable about human anatomy. Try as he might, their concentrated, erotic assault stripped him of all control. All through out they questioned him about his mission, about an invasion by the 'Consortium', questions he was unable to answer.

Afterwards they left him, sick with shame at what they managed to do to him. He felt his eyes sting with tears that he tried to banish away. _I will not cry! _he thought fiercely. He was left alone for some time, but eventually the guards untied him and took him back to his room. From the lewd remarks they made on the way, he realised his shame had been witnessed by others.

In his room, he found food, fruit that he recognised from the rain forest. He and the others had gathered and tested them as safe for human consumption. He considered ignoring the food but then he knew he needed to keep his strength up if he wanted to find a way to escape, so he ate.

He eventually curled up on the bunk and tried to sleep but his mind kept going over the earlier events. Worse, he was now wondering what horrors Sato and Tucker were being subjected to. Once again the door opened and four guards came in. They brought him out, at first he thought it was for another round of interrogations but to his surprise and relief he was brought into Sato's room. She told him what happened to her and to Commander Tucker and he in turn told her a little, though he didn't mention his experience with the two alien women.

"The Commander will try to resist giving any vital information as long as possible," he said, carefully. He tried not to think about what that could mean. "But we have to prepare for the possibility they may kill him and turn on us next."

"Do you have any idea how long we've been here?" said Hoshi, her eyes wide with fear. "I would say at least a day," he said, thoughtfully. "I can't be certain though. I've slept for a few hours I think, plus I have no idea how long I was unconscious after they examined me." He knew what she was trying to ask; _Enterprise_ would likely not be expecting them back for another four days. Who knows what could happen in the meantime?

"What should we do, Lieutenant?" was all she said.

"I'll get us out of here somehow," he said grimly. " We certainly can't stay here. None of this situation makes any sense!"

"They said they were Decantlans," said Hoshi. "Commander Tucker told them we'd been invited but they didn't believe him."

They moved to sit on the bed and Hoshi seized his hand tightly. At first he froze but realising she needed the comfort, he forced himself to relax.

"We should wait by the door, try to jump whoever comes in," he said, examining the room.

"Won't they be expecting that?" she asked.

"I don't know, but we've got to try!"

It was a couple of hours later when the opportunity came. They had stationed themselves either side of the door and when it opened, both of them jumped on the alien that came through. However, it seemed that the aliens had anticipated their tactic as the alien was followed by four guards who managed to subdue the two Starfleet Officers. He realised it had been a foolish endeavour when one of them jabbed him with what looked like a cattle prod and he lost consciousness.

* * *

When he next woke, he was back in his own room. Once again he was not alone. This time, his companion was Commander Tucker. He was also dressed as Malcolm, only his tunic and trousers were ripped and stained with blood. He had been badly beaten and was in considerable pain. He knelt by him to see what he could do for the injured man. He felt the engineer flinch as he tried to help him up onto the bed.

"Easy, Commander, I just want to help you up." He spoke softly to the engineer, who had curled himself into a ball. He was shaking badly, Malcolm noticed in consternation. Cautiously, he touched the engineer's shoulder.

"No!" came the soft moan. "Please don't touch me!" Malcolm knelt on the floor, worried. The engineer was obviously in pain from his injuries but he was also completely terrified.

"You'll be more comfortable on the bed. I won't hurt you, Trip." Again, Malcolm kept his voice low and even, not wanting to frighten the traumatised man even further.

Eventually, Trip allowed Malcolm to help him onto the bed. He tried to lift the man's tunic to assess his injuries but Trip cringed away from him, curled in a ball, his back against the wall. Instead he settled for wetting some paper towels, cleaning Trip up as much as he could. Then, he saw something that made him want to be sick. There was blood, on the seat of Trip's pants. _Oh God_, he thought, sickened. _Starfleet never trained us for this!_

"Trip? Please talk to me… what did they do to you?"

"They beat me, Malcolm," he whispered. "They kept asking questions about where we were from, about the ship and they beat me when I wouldn't answer. I think I passed out a coupla times." He stopped. "They got impatient, 'cause I wouldn't answer. Then they said they were gonna have some fun with me."

Trip let out a shuddering sob.

"I couldn't stop them!" he said. He paused and Malcolm saw him struggle for some semblance of control. "There were three of them… one of them pulled down my pants and they all took their turns with me, oh God, it hurt so fuckin' much!"

Reed sat quietly, rage burning inside of him as Trip broke down and cried.

"I'll kill them," he whispered viciously, "_I will end those bastards!_" He stayed with Trip, watching over him, until the engineer drifted off to sleep. Once he was deeply asleep he carefully checked his injuries. His heart sank as he lifted Trip's vest and saw the violently coloured bruises. He was likely to have internal bleeding as well. Conveying a silent apology he also checked underneath his pants, seeing that he was still bleeding there as well. He needed urgent medical treatment, otherwise it was likely he could die. He pounded on the door, when he realised that Trip was unconscious and not asleep.

"Open up, you bastards, I need help here!"

Eventually two of the aliens came in, followed by four guards, two of who grabbed Malcolm and held him firmly. The first two aliens examined Trip with some kind of scanner. One of them shook his head then gestured to the guard.

"What are you doing?" said Malcolm as he struggled against his captors. Then he saw one of them pull out a weapon. Rage gave him superhuman strength as he pulled away from his captors. He knocked one out with a vicious jab of an elbow to the solar plexus, grabbed the other one and threw him into the other two guards. The other aliens froze in terror as he grabbed a weapon from the nearest guard. He fired at the three guards tumbled in a heap and they all screamed in pain before falling silent. _Dead_, he realised in shock. He hoped they were the ones who had hurt Trip. The other guard who had incapacitated struggled to reach his weapon and Malcolm shot him as well. He then killed the other two aliens who were trying to escape. He ran over to Trip.

"Oh no!" he said. "No!" Trip wasn't breathing. He turned him onto his back, and checked for a pulse. Not feeling anything, he started carrying out CPR on the engineer.

However, he stopped when he heard more aliens coming in, all of them armed. In his haste to attend to the engineer, he had dropped his weapon, so were unable to prevent them from taking him away. They took him out of the room and he saw several white coated technicians go in. He was taken to another room, empty except for a large vat.

"Prisoner Reed, you will be executed summarily. You have murdered our citizens who were merely defending their world. Pray to whatever gods you believe in."

Two of the men then dragged him over to the vat, which he realised was filled with water. Raw panic seized him. _Oh God, anything but this!_ He fought as he was plunged head first into the vat. He tried to hold his breath but eventually he ended up breathing water. As he began losing consciousness, still struggling against the iron grip that held him in place, his last thought was _My aquaphobia was justified._


	4. Tucker

**Tucker POV**

Trip cursed inwardly as the three of them were put on a flitter, clearly one only capable of atmospheric flight, then tied and gagged. They flew for hours over the rainforest, then over grassy plains, landing at the foot of a hill that was clearly man made; it was far too symmetrical.

The three of them were herded through a concealed entrance, down a corridor, and to Tucker's dismay, into different rooms.

He searched the room carefully for anything he could to aid an escape but found nothing. He tried yelling but got no response. Eventually, though two alien guards came in, followed by a male and female alien dressed in lab coats, pulling a trolley.

"We will treat your wounds now," one of them said in heavily accented English. The guards stripped him of his uniform, leaving him in his blues, and held him tight as the technicians approached him. He eyed them suspiciously as they came up to him and used various medical instruments to heal the cuts and wounds on his body. They then left, leaving a plate of food behind. Recognising the fruit as from the jungle, which he knew was safe to eat, he ate enough to satisfy his hunger.

Not long after, the door opened again, the same two guards and medical technicians wheeling a gurney. The guards grabbed him and manhandled him on to a trolley. He was wheeled, protesting all the way, demanding to know where Sato and Reed were, to a room that looked a bit like sickbay.

Scissors were used to remove his underwear and he felt terribly exposed and afraid. He was placed inside what looked like Sickbay's imaging scanner. When he was removed, he felt the press of metal against his neck and he realised he couldn't move, nor close his eyes. He tried to speak but he couldn't make a sound to protest the things now touching his body, probing and examining him all over, even probing his private parts. He was freaked out, panicked by the intrusive touches of the various instruments examining him. He'd never felt so helpless. Another touch of metal to his neck and he lost consciousness.

When he woke up, he was back in the room he'd been in before, dressed in what looked like white sickbay pyjamas. Shortly after two white coated aliens came in, once carrying a tray of food. One of them said something to the other in their own language and they both laughed. Trip took advantage of their momentary distraction to launch himself at them, taking them by surprise as they all tumbled to the floor. Grabbing the tray, he lashed out at both of them, stunning them both before leaping up, to run out of the door. Frantically, he tried other doors along the corridor, hoping to find Hoshi and Malcolm, but they were all locked. _If I can get out of here, maybe I can think of some way to get them out!_ His heart racing he ran down the corridor, hearing running footsteps behind him. Eventually he came to what he thought might be an outer door. He flung it open to reveal a large gravelled area, bordered in by the artificial hills. There was a path between the hills and in the distance he could see a forest. He ran as quickly as he could but the gravel cut into his feet. Eventually he reached the grassy path but his feet were cut badly and he struggled to run any further.

He stumbled to the ground, his feet too painful to walk but the sound of the pursuit gaining on him gave him an incentive to pick himself up to keep going. They caught him though, just as he entered the dense thicket surrounding the forest. The last thing he saw was one of the aliens swing their weapon at his head, before the world turned black.

Next thing he knew, he woke to find a worried looking Hoshi staring down at him. "Hoshi!" he said, "Are you okay?" He tried to sit up but groaned, holding his head, feeling as though the room was spinning.

"Lie still, sir," she said. "Looks like you've had a nasty blow to the head."

"Tell me about it," he grumbled. "I want the number of the shuttle that hit me!"

With her help he was able to sit up.

"Can you tell me what happened, sir?"

"I managed to slip the aliens who were bringing me food, the ones in the white coats," he said. "I tried looking for you and Malcolm but the guards were closing in on me. I found a door to the outside and ran out, hoping I could escape, try and figure out a way to get the two of you rescued. But they caught me!" He looked at her, feeling guilty he hadn't done more to affect her and Malcolm's escape.

"At least you tried, sir," she said. "And at least we're together now!" Trip reached over and gave her a hug.

"Don't worry, we'll get out of here, the cap'n-" his voice caught as he remembered they'd left the captain dying in the shuttlepod. "T'Pol will figure it out somehow."

"Do you think that maybe there's a chance…"

"That they found the cap'n and treated his injuries?" Trip tried to smile, wanting to give her a little bit of hope. "I sure hope so, Ensign. I really do."

They sat for a while until once again, an alien came in and left some food, clearly enough for two. The two of them talked quietly, random gossip, word games that Trip lost to Hoshi with good grace. They were careful to say nothing of the ship. Then once more the door opened. This time four guards came in. Both of them were taken out of the room and led to another room.

Both of them were pushed into and tied into hard metal chairs. They were then joined by the same two yellow coated aliens, the male and female, that had carried out the invasive medical exam earlier.

"Identify yourselves!" demanded the male, who they assumed was in charge.

Trip gave a warning look to Hoshi. _Say nothing!_

"Where is the other man who was with us?" he asked, masking his fear.

The interrogator nodded to one of the guards who backhanded Tucker, hard.

"I ask the questions," said the interrogator.

"My name is Charles Tucker," muttered Trip, after spitting out a mouthful of blood. "She's Hoshi Sato. We're from the Earth ship _Enterprise_. Now who the hell are you and did you shoot down our shuttlepod?"

"You invaded our territory!" said the female alien.

"We were _invited _here by the Decantlans," said Trip angrily. "Is that what you are?" he asked, remembering that all communications had been audio only. They had no idea what the Decantlans looked like. The male interrogator nodded and smiled cruelly.

"Yes, that is what we are." Turning to the guards, he spoke again.

"Take the female back to her cell. We'll work some more with this male." Trip saw the despair on Hoshi's face as she was dragged out of the room by one of the guards.

What followed was something out of his worst nightmares. Question after question they put to him, convinced that he and the others were part of some spying mission for an invasion force of the 'Consortium'. Tucker had no idea what they were talking about as they systematically beat him, breaking his ribs, bruising his torso. Twice he passed out in pain only to be revived by a face full of freezing cold water.

"He isn't telling us anything! Obviously these Humans have high tolerance for pain." The female alien kicked him in discuss. "Perhaps another tack is required."

The male yellow coated alien nodded.

"The method we used with subject B did not work, perhaps something different is required." He looked at the three guards that were still in the room. "You guards said you wanted to have some fun? Ensure he is still alive at the end of it."

Tucker's blood ran cold as he tried to fathom the meaning of the alien's words. Two of the guards held him firmly as the other one untied his bonds. He was thrown on the floor, gasping in pain as his injuries were exacerbated further. He struggled to breathe, every breath causing an agonising pain as his broken ribs moved. So he was unable to put up a fight when they rolled him onto his stomach and pulled his trousers down. His mind refused to accept what was about to happen until he felt a searing pain nearly split him in two. He squeezed his eyes shut and prayed it would be over soon.

He must have lost consciousness again as when he came to, Malcolm was kneeling next to him, his face etched with concern. He flinched as the lieutenant tried to help him up onto the bed, memories of the brutal attack he'd suffered coming back to him.

"Easy, Commander, I just want to help you up." Malcolm's soft tones penetrated Trip's mind, reminding him he was with a friend but he couldn't stop cringing away, not wanting to be touched, when Malcolm touched his shoulder.

"No!" he moaned. "Please don't touch me!"

Trip shook with fear even as he tried to remind himself that the lieutenant was trying to help him.

"You'll be more comfortable on the bed. I won't hurt you, Trip." Gradually the soft and level British accent soothed him enough that the paralysing fear began to ease. He allowed his friend to help him onto the bed, but when he felt Malcolm try to lift his tunic he cringed away, curling into a ball against the wall. He felt a small sense of relief when Malcolm moved away slightly

"Trip? Please talk to me… what did they do to you?" the tone of the other man's voice told Trip that Malcolm had an inkling of what had occurred and shame flooded him, his eyes burning with unshed tears.

"They beat me, Malcolm," he whispered. "They kept asking questions about where we were from, about the ship and they beat me when I wouldn't answer. I think I passed out a coupla times." He stopped. "They got impatient, 'cause I wouldn't answer. Then they said they were gonna have some fun with me." Trip let out a shuddering sob, unable to stop the tears falling.

"I couldn't stop them!" he said. He swallowed and tried to compose himself. "There were three of them… one of them pulled down my trousers and they all took their turns with me, oh God, it hurt so fuckin' much!" The pain, fear and shame overwhelmed him and he began to cry, all his emotional defences stripped away. He barely heard Malcolm's next words.

"I'll kill them," the British man whispered viciously, "_I will end those bastards!"_

His tears brought no relief, neither did Malcolm's promise, as what little strength he had left sapped away and everything faded to black.


	5. Archer

**Archer POV**

Jon woke up to find himself in a white room. He felt weak and his stomach felt as though he'd overdone the push ups. But otherwise he was okay, alive. He was convinced he was going to die in the shuttlepod. Perhaps the others had found help for him. He looked around and couldn't see anyone. When he tried to get up, he realised he was restrained.

"Hello?" he called out. There was no response. His mouth felt terribly dry and he hoped someone would come soon. His prayers were answered as two aliens entered, a male and female in yellow coats.

"Who are you?" The male said.

"My name is Captain Jonathan Archer, of the Earth Ship _Enterprise._ We were on our way to visit the Decantlans when our Shuttlepod was attacked by unidentified assailants."

"I see," said the alien.

"Where are the rest of the people I were with, there were three other people, they left to seek help."

"We have them here, Captain. what happens to them, is up to you."

A feeling of dread crept up on the captain as he contemplated the male alien's words.

The female pressed a button on a device she pulled out of a pocket. One wall flickered and Jon realised he was seeing a viewscreen.

What he saw next was something out of his worst nightmares. The three officers were taken into an underground complex and separated, all of them subjected to invasive medical tests, their privacy violated.

It got worse from there. Failed escape attempts, interrogations asking questions that made no sense, that the crew couldn't possibly answer. Beatings, torture and sexual violence followed by the executions of Hoshi and Malcolm, Trip having succumbed to his injuries after a savage beating. He sobbed helplessly as he realised his crew were dead, especially as they had suffered before they died.

When it was all over, the aliens returned. He tried to escape his bonds, wanting to wrap his hands around the neck of the aliens and kill them for brutally murdering his crew, his friends.

Hoshi, he'd persuaded her to leave his students, needing her linguistic skills, knowing how she struggled to adapt to life in space. She did though, exceeding his expectations; he'd been so proud of her.

Malcolm, who had impressed him with his qualifications, his quiet dedication to duty and his ferocity at protecting the crew. He'd started to open up, warm up to the rest of the crew, revealing a dry sense of humour.

And Trip, his best friend, who'd helped save the NX project, his little brother. _Enterprise_ wouldn't be _Enterprise_ without Trip. He was the heart of the ship, everyone's friend, the life and soul of the party.

And he could only save one of them! They put the film on repeat, torturing him further with the terrible images, telling him over and over again they could choose only one. Hours and hours they tortured him, never letting up. There was only one way to end it.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to the images on the screen, "I hope you can forgive me."

He made his choice.


	6. The Big Reveal

Captain Archer opened his eyes. _Had he dozed off?_ He thought in alarm, as he realised he was still at the controls of the shuttlepod. He glanced around, seeing the others looking at him, dazed and confused. Quickly he checked the controls, they were drifting, no longer under power but the shuttlepod itself was undamaged. He brought the engines back on line.

"Are you all okay?" he said.

They all nodded.

"Did we all pass out?" asked Trip, in confusion.

"Hoshi, try and raise the Decantlans."

The communications officer did as the captain bid. She frowned, trying different frequencies.

"Captain, I'm not picking up any transmissions from the planet!"

"Not even local traffic?"

"No, Captain, nothing!"  
"Sir," interrupted Malcolm. "I've just scanned the planet, there is no sign of any civilisation whatsoever!"

Glancing over the Lieutenant's shoulder, Trip nodded, looking grim.

"He's right Cap'n. I suggest you turn us 'round and head home!"

"I agree, Trip." The captain entered the new course and began the slow careful process of going through the asteroid field. After a couple of hours, they saw the welcome sight of the _Enterprise_.

"_Enterprise_ to _Shuttlepod One_," came T'Pol's voice. "You are back early. Is there a problem?"  
"I'm not sure, Subcommander. I'll explain once we've docked."

* * *

Once the shuttlepod was safely back in the launch bay and they got up to leave the 'pod, Hoshi noticed something odd. It was a small box that she didn't remember being there before. Looking at the others she guessed they hadn't seen it either. At the captain's nod, she picked it up. They got out to find T'Pol waiting for them.

"How long were we gone, T'Pol?"

"Approximately 3 days, captain." The four officers looked at each other.

"We were unconscious for _3 days_?" said the captain. "We should all get Phlox to look at us. Come with us, Subcommander, I'll explain on the way."

He told her everything as they made their way to sickbay, then he handed her the box.

"Can you scan it, have a look inside it?"

"Certainly, sir," she said. "I shall let you know my analysis as soon as it's complete." She left for one of the research labs.

In sickbay, Phlox checked all four officers over carefully.

"You all in perfect health," he said. "Although I do believe Lieutenant Reed has the beginnings of a cold."

"Yet there is three days of our life we can't account for and a missing civilisation!" The captain frowned. He hated mysteries like this.

"T'Pol to Archer," came the Vulcan't voice over the comm.

"What have you found, T'Pol?" he asked in response.

"The box is presents no danger. I have opened it and it contains what looks like ornaments, four of them and one of our PADDs, with a video on it. I will view the video and report back to you."

"Thanks T'Pol, Archer out."

* * *

The next morning, a stoic Vulcan subcommander walked into Jon's ready room.

"I have viewed the video," began T'Pol. "It appears to be some kind of _entertainment_ programme." Jon couldn't fail to pick up the distaste in her voice.

"An _entertainment _program?" Jon looked confused. "About what?"

"About you, sir, and the other members of the away team." To his surprise, she looked away briefly and seem to have to compose herself.

"What was in the video?" Jon's stomach twisted into knots. He'd never seen T'Pol so discomfited, her usual Vulcan equanimity failing her and that worried him a great deal.

"It was a series of scenarios, focusing Ensign Sato, Lieutenant Reed and Commander Tucker," she replied. "In all of them they were imprisoned by aliens they believed to be the Decantlans. They were subjected to medical tests, torture and to non-consensual sexual intercourse and all of three were apparently killed.

"There was a separate scenario in which you witnessed all of the events. At the end you were forced to make a choice. You could spare one of the crew from their fate, but only one. It seems that this show was an viewer participation spectacle in which viewers could place bets on your choice."

Jon was glad he was sitting down as he think he would have fallen down. T'Pol looked at him compassionately, her hand reaching out slightly as if wanting to offer or perhaps to seek comfort.

"We have no memories of any of this!"

"I have consulted Doctor Phlox and he confirms that none of you show any physical evidence of your ordeals. He conjectured that these people must have very advanced medical science to completely erase the damage done to your bodies. For example, Commander Tucker was subjected to a severe beating which is likely to have resulted in broken ribs, damaged organs and internal bleeding. You suffered a severe abdominal injury which, unless medical attention was at hand, would have resulted in your death. I also took the liberty of asking Commander Tucker to have his engineers go over the shuttlepod last night; there was no sign of any damage consistent with the attack in the video."

"Plus they appear to have completely erased our memories!" Jon breathed out. "What do you suggest we do?"

"It is clear that we were lured here under false pretences. I conjecture this species has done this before. I have also detected a transmission which was directed at a solar system approximately 2 days away at Warp 4. I believe it contained the same video."

"Tell the bridge to change course for that system." He looked up at T'Pol. "I want to see it."

"Sir, I strongly advise against it. I believe the distress you will experience will outweigh any benefits to watching it."

"I have to know what was done to me!" Jon looked up at the science officer, determined.

T'Pol stared at the captain, before handing over the PADD with the video on it.

"Watch it in full before you allow the others to see it," she said, a slightly censorious tone entering her voice. "I see no logical reason to subject them to unnecessary distress." She then left the ready room. With trepidation, Jon accessed the recording and watched it.

Three hours later, he was pale and sweating. He'd already had to go to the nearby head twice to vomit up his breakfast. He couldn't seem to get the images out of his head. His crew tortured, beaten, raped. All of them dying. He saw himself agonising over a choice, who to save. When he came to the point where he was going to announce his decision, he stopped the video. He didn't have to make that choice now and hopefully he never would. He didn't want to think about the choice he would have made; that knowledge would've haunted him for the rest of his life. They had forced him to choose yet for reasons only unknown to themselves, the Decantlans had saved all of them. It didn't make sense!

What had made him sick was that it was clearly packaged as entertainment, as confirmed by the alien voice overs at the beginning and the end of the programme, the purpose of which was not only to entertain but to stir up xenophobia. It was clear that they cared nothing for aliens, that they were fair game for torture and degradation, all in the name of entertainment. It didn't matter to him that they had repaired all their injuries, wiped their memories. That didn't change the fact they had done this to them.

Earth had delved into reality TV shows in the late twentieth and early twenty first centuries, some showcasing various talents, but also getting contestants to carry out terrifying or humiliating tasks to win a prize. Some grew quite extreme but compared to the travesty he'd just watch, they were all pretty tame. It gave him the chills to think how jaded a species must be to call this entertainment. He took off the 'Do Not Disturb' code off his comm, which he had put on earlier. Shortly after, his door chime went and he admitted Sato, Reed and Tucker. He summarised the video, advising them they should not watch it. Malcolm immediately objected but Trip met his captain's eyes. He must have seen something in Jon's eyes that told him not to push it.

"Malcolm," he said, placing a hand on the other man's arm. "I think we need to trust the cap'n on this one. If he says we won't benefit from watching it, then we shouldn't."

Jon looked at Trip in gratitude.

"I'm going to speak to Phlox. If there is any danger of these memories resurfacing, then perhaps you do need to know. If not, please trust me when I say, I don't want you to see this."

"I trust you, cap'n," Trip said, earnestly. "But I am feeling kind of freaked out. I saw T'Pol earlier, I've never seen her look so out of sorts!"

"I think that should give you an idea of how bad it was, Trip."

Jon noticed Hoshi gave an involuntary shudder as she absorbed the captain's words. He smiled reassuringly at her and she managed a tremulous smile back. Trip just looked gloomy, his usual sunny demeanour muted.

"Cap'n, I'm feeling kinda… violated," he said, softly. "Knowing that they did stuff to us, they filmed it for entertainment."

Malcolm and Hoshi nodded.

"I know what the commander means," Malcolm said, looking grimmer than usual. "I don't feel particularly sanguine about it either."

Jon looked at the three officers sympathetically.

"I think we all feel like that. I'll see Phlox now and get back to you. All of you are dismissed."

The three officers left.

* * *

They arrived at the system the transmission was aimed at. Deciding on a stealth approach, they remained on the outer edge of the system, collecting data from the thousands of subspace and EM transmissions they picked up.

What they found was incredibly disturbing. The Decantlans were a hugely xenophobic species, who regularly kidnapped aliens for their entertainment. T'Pol had theorised that in order to try and avoid drawing attention to themselves, they lured unsuspecting aliens to an uninhabited planet with a concealed soundstage complex hidden underground and used sophisticated medical techniques to remove all evidence of harm. Apparently this drew less attention than if aliens were to go missing in their region of space.

The level of physical and sexual violence in their entertainments was horrendous but obviously popular. What was interesting was that they also appeared to be a dying race, their heavily industrialised planet suffering from such heavy pollution, that their planet was no longer able to sustain life. Such entertainments served as a way to distract the people from their inevitable extinction.

"And due to their rampant xenophobia, they will not seek help," said T'Pol as she summarised her findings.

"What do we do, Cap'n?" said Trip.

"Not a lot we can do. We'll pass word on to the Vulcans and to Earth, ask they warn other species to avoid the system they were lured to. As T'Pol said, they are likely to be extinct in less than two centuries."

"I am certain there is no danger of the memories resurfacing," sad Phlox, uncharacteristically grim. "None of you have experienced any related dreams either."

"T'Pol, is this the only copy of the video?" asked the captain.

"There is the original encrypted copy in the main computer banks."

"Destroy both copies," he said. "All we can do is try to forget."

For the captain though, it was easier said than done.


End file.
